Vehicle Emergency Kit, 17 Items Everyone Should Have In Their Car

From “Knowledge Weighs Nothing”, a homesteading/survivalist website, comes a brilliant article. Emergency Car Kit: 17 Items to Have in Your Car This Winter. While those of us who live in colder, snowier climates often say “Oh, I must put an emergency winter car kit together”, very few of us ever actually do it. But it’s not just a great idea, it could potentially save a life. (And, also, we shouldn’t pack one of these kits just in the winter time – many of the suggestions serve multi-purposes and would be useful any time of the year.)

Starting off at number 17 is A Good Quality Multi-Tool, such as a Leatherman Sidekick, which is worth its weight in gold. A good multi-tool can be used for repairing your vehicle, first aid, rescue and survival. However, you need to be a little handy and know how to use it. Leatherman is a brand of multi-tools and knives made by the Leatherman Tool Group of Portland, Oregon. The company was founded in 1983 by Timothy Leatherman, a mechanical engineering graduate. Most of the Leatherman multi-tools are built around a pair of pliers, with up to 21 additional tools stored in the handles, including knives, screwdrivers and wire cutters, as well as can and bottle openers.

Another great addition is an actual First Aid Kit, which we should have at any time of the year, not just during the colder months! Or how about a Bag of Sand or a Portable Shovel? How many times have you gotten stuck and needed a little something extra to keep your wheels from spinning and wished you had something to create traction to help navigate your vehicle out of ice and snow? Guilty!

Number 9 on the list is Pepper Spray or Taser. The writer states that “Unfortunately, we live in a dangerous world”, which is true, but I’m not so sure I’d go quite that far personally. This may depend on exactly how rural you live, or how far into the wilderness you’ve traveled.

Yet another great addition to your homesteading survivalist first aid kit is a High Protein Food Source, like protein bars which can help keep your energy levels high should you need to vacate your vehicle and traverse to the nearest shelter, whatever and wherever that may be. Other acceptable bars would include energy bars, which provide the majority of their food energy in carbohydrate form as opposed to high protein. It also doesn’t hurt to keep bottles of water. Although they’ll freeze in the winter, the ice will melt and provide you with clean drinking water should you need to go on a little journey. Again, this is something that should be carried no matter what time of the year as water is a vital item.

All of the items on the list are great common sense suggestions and are fairly easy to locate (aside from, maybe, the Taser!). While you may feel you don’t need all 17 “survivalist” first aid items, at least examine the list to determine what’s most important to you and your well-being and then put a kit together because, my friends, winter is coming!